Community Groups and Organizations To Begin Night Walks In North Long Beach

North Long Beach churches, businesses, community groups and neighbors will join the Long Beach Ministers Alliance Tuesday night for weekly Night Walks in an effort to curb crime in neighborhoods and build community strength.

“Night Walks are simply people walking during designated hours saying hello to other people in the community,” said Pastor Gregory Sanders, founder of The ROCK, Christian Fellowship and President of The Long Beach Ministers Alliance. “It is moving from the Sanctuary to the streets, from porches to the public and businesses to the blocks.”

Night Walks are a proven community partnership created in Boston more than twenty years ago. Since then, major cities across the United States have implemented them with dramatic results. Boston reported a 60 percent drop in homicides between 1990 and 1996 in areas where community members took part in regular Night Walks. Organizers are confident North Long Beach can expect similar results.

Night Walk locations are identified by crime statistics and data provided by the Long Beach Police Department. The Long Beach Police Department has identified five corridors where to focus the initial Night Walks. They are:

Atlantic Corridor from 52nd Street to Artesia Blvd

South Corridor from Dairy Avenue to Cherry Ave

Market Corridor from Long Beach Blvd to Cherry Ave

Long Beach Blvd Corridor from Del Amo to 56th Street

Orange Corridor from 52nd Street to Artesia Blvd.

Initially, Night Walks will begin along the Atlantic corridor. The other corridors will begin one week later.

“We are excited to announce that the 7-11 stores on Atlantic and Harding and Artesia and Atlantic are providing complimentary coffee and/or Slurpee to all Night Walkers after each walk, Sanders stated.

The first Night Walk will kick off, at 7:00 PM on Tuesday night, October 28, 2014, from Victory Outreach, 5115 Atlantic Ave. Long Beach, Ca 90805.

Businesses, Churches, Community Groups and Concerned Citizens are encouraged to attend the initial launch on Tuesday night.